1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to board and electronic games, and more specifically to such a game simulating the game of baseball. The present game is played using dice, or electronic random chance means providing the same odds, but an advantage is provided to players who know the game and utilize appropriate strategies during play.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innumerable active games and pastimes have been developed in the past, in the form of so-called xe2x80x9cstick and ballxe2x80x9d sports and others. Such games generally require that the players be fit, or at least interested in performing an athletic activity involving some exertion and effort. More sedentary games have also evolved over time, with such games generally involving either mental skills and expertise, or chance means for determining the outcome. Many of these sedentary games (board games, etc.) have attempted to simulate the strategy and action occurring in more athletic games (baseball, football, etc.), but it has proven to be difficult to create a sedentary game which includes sufficient realism to simulate a related athletic game accurately.
Accordingly, the present simulated baseball game and method provides an accurate simulation of the game of baseball, using only dice as the chance means for determining the outcome of various plays (pitches, batter actions and results, and defensive plays in the field). While at first glance the use of such chance means may appear to result in the outcome of the game being based upon pure chance, with more and less knowledgeable players having equal chances to win the game, it will be seen that a knowledge of baseball provides some advantage, in that the knowledgeable player is able to apply various tactics (e. g., steal, hit-and-run, etc.) in various situations as they may occur during the course of play. Also, the present game makes use of the greater or lesser probability of certain additive numerical combinations of dice to create greater or lesser likelihoods of certain occurrences during the course of play, as occur in an actual baseball game. The present game may be adapted to electronic and/or casino play, as well as play as a board game.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,569 issued on Apr. 14, 1981 to Stanley J. Frohlich, titled xe2x80x9cBaseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a simulated baseball game using dice, with further action being determined by the drawing of cards having descriptions of various player actions and statistics thereon. Most of the results of the Frohlich game are determined by a series of cards which describe various actions resulting from various numbers determined by the dice, rather than using the dice themselves to determine the action, as is done in the present simulated baseball game. Moreover, Frohlich uses only two different dice (different colors, etc.) tossed simultaneously to determine the actions of both the pitcher and batter, whereas the present game utilizes a first toss of two dice by the player representing the pitcher to determine the location of the pitch (strike or ball, etc.) and a subsequent toss by the batter to determine the outcome of the swing (if any). A further toss is made by the player acting as the defense to determine the outcome of the resulting fielding play, if any, with other dice tosses being used for various other circumstances (hit and run, etc.) The Frohlich game is limited in that it must utilize statistics provided from existing players, rather than determining player action by means of the dice. Moreover, the Frohlich playing field does not provide any input to the game insofar as the results of a simulated hit or fielding play are concerned. In contrast, the field of the present simulated baseball game is divided into zones corresponding to various totals which may be achieved by tossing the dice, and which provide some input as to the outcome of the game. While Frohlich states that one object of his game is to provide a very rapidly paced game which may be played in only ten to fifteen minutes, such a short time span leaves out innumerable possibilities which may occur during actual play, with the present game taking into account most such possible situations and strategies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,199 issued on Aug. 18, 1987 to Enrique Aguirregomezcorta, titled xe2x80x9cBase Ball Game,xe2x80x9d describes a simulated game in which most of the action occurs by means of dice tosses simulating the actions of the pitcher, rather than any resulting actions by the batter or defensive fielders. Aguirregomezcorta uses a random chance device having four colored areas to determine the area of the playing field in which the ball is played after being hit, with the playing field being divided into colored areas matching those of the random chance device. The present game divides the field numerically, according to various combinations which may occur using two conventional dice. Aguirregomezcorta uses a similar means to simulate the actions of an umpire, as well. Otherwise, most of the play is determined by means of drawing cards and proceeding according to the action described on the cards, as in the Frohlich game described immediately above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,651 issued on Jul. 14, 1992 to Tomas T. Tobias, Jr., titled xe2x80x9cBaseball Board Game And Method Of Play,xe2x80x9d describes a game using multiple pairs of cubical dice, with each pair comprising two dice of different colors. The Tobias, Jr. playing field is considerably more complex than that of the present game invention, in that Tobias, Jr. provides a series of nine subdivisions on a generally square grid, with each subdivision having a series of thirty six two digit numbers therein. Tobias does not include any single digit numbers in the play of his game, as he does not add the two dice together to provide a total between two and twelve, as is done with the present game. Rather, Tobias treats each number of each of the two dice separately in using them to determine a grid position on his board. The numbers on the Tobias, Jr. board are randomized, with an equal probability of any of the numbers being used for either side of the board, i.e., to the left or right side of second base. In contrast, the present game board is divided into sectors which are organized according to the different probabilities of various additive combinations occurring with the dice. For example, it is well known that the most likely additive number to occur with two cubical dice is seven, and accordingly, the present game designates the left short outfield area using the number seven. In an actual baseball game, it is more likely that a ball will be hit to this area than to any other, as most batters are right handed and will pull the ball somewhat to the left side of the field. The present game divides the infield and outfield further, using similar logic to provide realistic play according to various probabilities using additive numbers from the dice pair, which is not disclosed by Tobias, Jr. Moreover, Tobias, Jr. requires a separate table in order to arrive at the nine different general areas of his playing board, since no single number may be greater than six when the dice are not used additively. This complicates the Tobias, Jr. game relative to the present game, by adding a further step to play. In addition, Tobias, Jr. does not provide a realistic rendition of the playing field with its base paths and other features, which features are a part of the present simulated baseball game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,292 issued on Jun. 21, 1994 to Steven G. Dileva et al., titled xe2x80x9cMethod Of Playing A Baseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a board game relating to various financial aspects of professional baseball. No simulated play of an actual baseball game is provided by the Dileva et al. board game. Rather, the goal of the Dileva et al. game is to acquire a greater amount of simulated wealth than the other player(s). Advance during play is provided by randomly drawing from a series of cards, each of which has some instruction which must be followed. Dileva et al. do not provide any other form of chance means in their game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,412 issued on May 16, 1995 to Brad J. McMahon, titled xe2x80x9cApparatus For Determining Batting And Base Stealing Outcomes In A Baseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a simulated baseball game in which various dice configurations are used to determine various outcomes, with a spinner being used to determine further outcomes. McMahon has considered the actual odds of various events occurring as generated by Major League Baseball play over two seasons, and has adjusted the various probabilities occurring with his chance means, to reflect closely these various statistical probabilities. However, McMahon does not divide his simulated playing field to represent various areas of play, as provided by the present game. Moreover, McMahon does not provide any means of simulating pitching or fielding probabilities, as is done in the present game, but only uses the chance means to determine batter action. In contrast, the present game provides pitcher, batter, and defensive action by tossing the dice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,567 issued on Jul. 25, 1995 to Hector J. Compres, titled xe2x80x9cBaseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a game more closely resembling the game of the ""292 Dileva et al. U.S. Patent discussed further above, than the present simulated baseball game. Compres provides a series of player cards, with the object of the game being to first acquire all of the cards of a given team. Travel about the peripheral playing path of the board is provided, but no simulated play of an actual game of baseball, including pitching, hitting, fielding, and base running, is provided by Compres, as is provided in the present simulated baseball game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,409 issued on Dec. 10, 1996 to Fernando Mayorga et al., titled xe2x80x9cBaseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a game board having a plurality of paths thereacross representing various paths a baseball might take in play, and various other components. Mayorga et al. include multicolored dice to determine the movement of playing pieces during play of their game. However, Mayorga et al. do not provide any disclosure of the rules or method of play of their game. Thus, it is not possible to determine from their disclosure if any action simulating the pitching, hitting, and/or fielding of a baseball is controlled by their multicolored dice or in some other manner, whereas the present disclosure specifically describes such rules and method of play for the present simulated baseball game. Moreover, Mayorga et al. do not disclose any division of their playing field or board corresponding to any additive numbers produced by the tossing of two dice, as provided by the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,714 issued on Jun. 23, 1998 to Herbert Weiner et al., titled xe2x80x9cMethods And Apparatus For Playing Baseball Gambling Games,xe2x80x9d describes a means of simulating a baseball game electronically, using a video display or other suitable means. Weiner et al. state that the probability of various outcomes of their electronic playing method is based upon actual probabilities occurring during actual major league play, but do not disclose any means of generating these probable outcomes, as is provided in the present game. Moreover, Weiner et al. do not disclose a simulated playing field having a series of divisions corresponding to likely play of a ball in those areas in an actual game, as provided by the present simulated baseball game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,914 issued on Mar. 23, 1999 to Mitchell Lilien, titled xe2x80x9cIndoor Baseball Board Game,xe2x80x9d describes a simulated baseball game in which players representing the pitcher and opposing batter both toss a pair of dice simultaneously. If the batter""s total is higher than the pitcher""s, a xe2x80x9cbatter actionxe2x80x9d card is drawn which describes further play (batter reaches base or is out due to some specific play, etc.). In contrast, the present game utilizes dice to determine all outcome. Moreover, Lilien does not divide his game board in any way to simulate the travel of the ball to those areas, as is accomplished in the game board of the present game. The specific layout or pattern of the present game board, in cooperation with the known odds produced by the additive numbers of a pair of dice, provides realistic play which is not achieved in the same manner (if at all) in the Lilien game.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. D-353,408 issued on Dec. 13, 1994 to John C. Springer, titled xe2x80x9cDice Baseball Game Board,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design for such a board. No method of playing the game, or other means (dice, player position or status markers, etc.) is disclosed in the Springer design patent, whereas such features are provided as a part of the present game. Moreover, Springer does not disclose any divisions of his game board to provide for the simulated play of the ball to those areas, nor any scoreboard means for keeping track of the score and status of the game, as provided by the present game board.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention comprises a simulated baseball game for play by two opposing players (or teams of players). The present game includes means for simulating most of the outcomes made possible according to the rules, strategy, and tactics of the game of baseball, by means of conventional cubical dice and the novel playing field and rules of the present game. The present game may be played as a board game, using a game board resembling a baseball playing field or stadium with scoreboard, etc., or may be developed as an electronic game for play using a hand held or stationary video terminal or the like. The present game is also well adapted for play as a gambling game, due to the chance means involved.
The present game includes a game board (or electronic video representation) resembling a baseball field, but divided into a series of infield and outfield zones corresponding to the additive numbers produced by a pair of conventional cubical dice. These zones indicate the general locations of balls in play during the game, with the zones being weighted to provide somewhat higher odds of play to the left side of the field, as actually occurs due to the greater numbers of right handed batters and the natural tendency to xe2x80x9cpullxe2x80x9d the ball to the opposite field when hit. The game board also includes a scoreboard for keeping track of the score, as well as means for tracking the status of the game (outs, balls and strikes, etc.) during the course of play.
Play is accomplished generally in three steps, with the player acting as pitcher tossing the dice to determine the outcome of a pitch, the batter then tossing the dice to determine the result of the interaction between batter and pitched ball, and the defense tossing the dice to determine the outcome of a ball hit by the batter (if such occurs). Additional apparatus in the form of simulated base runners and pegs for tracking the score and status are also provided with the present game.
The rules or method of play of the present game provide realistic odds of the common occurrences in the game of baseball, such as balls and strikes, hits, strikeouts, and outs in play, and various baserunning tactics (steals, hit and run, etc.), all using conventional dice and the strategy of the players to determine these outcomes. While chance is involved in the present game, the player who is knowledgeable about the strategy and tactics of the game of baseball will possess a distinct advantage over other players, by having a better xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d for situations in which taking a pitch, stealing a base, initiating a hit and run play, etc. may be involved.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved simulated baseball game having a game board formed either as a tangible structure or as an electronic representation, resembling a baseball playing field and including a plurality of zones corresponding to the additive numbers achieved by tossing a pair of conventional cubical dice.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved simulated baseball game which game board zones are placed to provide realistic location and play during simulated play, in accordance with actual play by actual left and right handed players.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved simulated baseball game which game board includes scorekeeping and status keeping means resembling the scoreboard at an exemplary baseball stadium.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved simulated baseball game which rules and method of play utilize random chance means to determine the outcome of each specific action, but which actions are influenced by the knowledge and experience of players with the actual game of baseball.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved simulated baseball game which lends itself to electronic play by means of hand held and arcade video game machines, as well as to wagering or casino games with participating and spectating players wagering upon the outcome of various plays and the game.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification and drawings.